The Palestine Chronology

Israeli-Palestinian violence continues to escalate, leaving 2 Palestinians, 1 Israeli civilian. Fatalities include a critically ill Palestinian woman who dies at a checkpoint nr. Ramallah after being held there for 2 hrs. and denied passage to a hospital, and an Israeli fatally shot by a Palestinian in a West Bank market. The PFLP detonates 2 remote-controlled car bombs in Yehud, inside Israel; 4 Israelis are treated for shock. The IDF begins work on a new settlement bypass road nr. Bethlehem; bulldozes 100s of dunams of Palestinian land nr. Gush Etzion where a new settlement enclave was set up 1 mo. ago; confiscates 5 dunams of Silwad land for a helipad serving Ofra settlement; sets up a new checkpoint outside Jinin; tightens roadblocks around Bethlehem, Qalqilya, Tulkarm. Jewish settlers set fire to 5 Palestinian cars in Hebron; burn olive trees nr. Ramin. (HP, MM 7/2; NYT, PMC, WP, WT 7/3; MM 7/4; MEI 7/13)

The U.S. convenes a special mtg. of the trilateral security comm.; reprimands the PA for not doing enough to rein in violence, Israel for resuming "targeted killings." (AP 7/2; NYT, WP, WT 7/3; NYT 7/5)

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli FM Yehud Ben-Meir resigns. During visit of Italy's FM Giulio Andreotti, PM Shamir voices alarm at potential damage to Israel's exports if Spain and Portugal admitted to EEC. Israel's High Court refuses recently-imprisoned conscientious objector's challenge to re-mobilization orders issued immediately on his release from prison. Muslim cemetery in Jaffa vandalized; tombstones spray-painted with threats to Arabs, signed "TNT."

Arab World: Arafat meets Pres. Mubarak in Cairo; DFLP criticizes move; Khaled Fahum terms it "flagrant violation of rule of PNC;" Saleh Khalaf calls it a personal move by Arafat.

Other Countries: US hails Mubarak-Arafat mtg. Venice prosecutor issues warrant for Arafat's arrest on charge he had knowledge PLO supplied weapons to Red Brigade.

MILITARY ACTION:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Hebron curfewed after grenade thrown at Usama Ibn Munqeth School, occupied by Jewish squatters.